Artista Vista returns April 16-18 in Columbia’s official arts and Cultural District

April 16-18, the Vista Guild’s Artista Vista will honor the vibrancy and resiliency of the district with a celebration that is bigger and more inclusive than ever before. With health and public safety a priority, the event will take to the streets and to the screen to offer residents the chance to create, enjoy, shop and dine in the city’s only neighborhood to receive an official Cultural District designation from the South Carolina Arts Commission. Artista Vista will include an online lantern-creation workshop, an art gallery crawl, the inaugural Art Day celebration on the Stormwater Studios campus, and the Koger Center’s Live on Lincoln concert; it will also be the new home for the region’s most eclectic indie craft fair — Crafty Feast. Find more information about the weekend’s events below, and at vistacolumbia.com/special-events/artista-vista.

“Creativity drives The Vista, and over the past year our business-owners have drawn on that creativity to overcome challenges presented by COVID-19,” says executive director of the Congaree Vista Guild, Abby Anderson. “We are thrilled to offer a fresh take on Artista Vista that celebrates our artistic roots, while protecting the community’s health and safety.”

Family-Friendly Online Paper Lantern Creation Workshop — Free — April 16-18
Pull out the craft bin! Local artist Flavia Lovatelli is offering an online, on-demand workshop for makers of all ages to learn how to create gorgeous, decorative paper lanterns at home. As a bonus, Lovatelli will offer clever ideas for personalizing your face mask. This virtual, at-home event provides fun for the entire family. The videos will go live in early April on the Vista’s YouTube channel, then wear your newly decorated masks and bring your lanterns to the Vista during the weekend’s live events.

Art Gallery Crawl — Free — Friday, April 16, 5-9 p.m.
This event, which runs until 9 p.m., is a prime opportunity to explore regional artists and to add beautiful work to your own home art collection. The Vista’s distinctive galleries and a number of pop up galleries will display new shows or exhibits, and visitors can make it a full night by dining at a Vista eatery before or after the crawl.

All patrons, vendors and businesses participating in Artista Vista events are required to properly wear a face mask. Galleries will enforce social distancing and encourage use of hand sanitizer.

For those who are more comfortable celebrating from home, virtual gallery tours will be available on the Vista’s YouTube channel, and a podcast featuring a walking tour of Vista art galleries will be available at TBD.

Art Day — Free — Saturday, April 17, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Artista Vista continues on Saturday with Art Day on the Stormwater Studios campus. Visitors will be welcomed into studio spaces — including Lewis + Clark and One Eared Cow Glass — to discover collections and view live demonstrations. Getting to Art Day is easy — The COMET’s Sod Cap Connector will offer a free route to Stormwater Studios campus from the Vista.

Live music from Amy & the Willie Wood Chips will fill the air while guests peruse and purchase local art. Beverage South’s beer wagon and A Matter of Taste, Dupre Catering’s food truck, will charm your taste buds with culinary artistry.

As at the gallery crawl, masks will be required, social distancing will be enforced and hand sanitizer will be provided. This event will take place rain or shine.

Crafty Feast — Free — Sunday, April 18, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
One of the most popular craft festivals in the Midlands returns with a new venue, new partnership and new admission price — free! Crafty Feast showcases funky, one-of-a-kind offerings and unique gifts from jury-selected vendors. The event will take place outdoors at the corner of Lincoln and Lady Streets with a beer wagon and local food vendors available. The first 250 patrons will receive a free Crafty Feast tote bag thanks to support from the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

A comprehensive safety plan has been put in place for Crafty Feast. The vendor limit has been capped at 50 to allow for six feet of distance between each booth. Touchless payment is encouraged, and guests are asked to refrain from making purchases with cash. Vendors will sanitize all equipment between guest use. Masks are required for all patrons and vendors, and hand sanitizer will be provided. Patrons and vendors are encouraged to use hand sanitizer often during the event. Social distancing will be enforced. In case of rain, the event will be moved to the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Live on Lincoln — Ticketed — Sunday, April 18, 5-7 p.m.
Artista Vista’s finale is Live on Lincoln, presented by The Koger Center on Sunday evening at 5 p.m. This outdoor, socially-distanced performance will take place on the cobblestones of Lincoln Street with dinner by Blue Marlin served to tables of up to four guests. Entertainment will include renowned local arts organizations like the South Carolina Philharmonic, Columbia Classical Ballet, Columbia City Ballet, ColaJazz, Trustus Theatre, Town Theatre, Columbia Children’s Theatre, Bruch Chamber Orchestra, Opera at USC and the University of South Carolina Concert Choir.

Proceeds raised from the Koger Center Live on Lincoln will directly support the participating arts and culture organizations as they navigate the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts industry. Tickets will be sold in groups; $280 for a table of four and $160 for a table of two. Patrons who purchase tickets in person at the Koger Center Box Office or by calling the box office 803-777-5112 will get $20 off their purchase.

Enjoying the Vista is Easy
All weekend, the Soda Cap Connector will be available (and free!) to transport patrons to the Vista from other parts of town and throughout the Vista. As Artista Vista’s transportation partner, The COMET’s Soda Cap Connector makes getting to the Vista simple and more accessible to the community. Parking for Artista Vista is available in the parking garage behind Aloft at Washington and Lincoln Streets. City parking meters are free after 6 p.m. Dinner reservations are recommended, as restaurants in the Vista currently operate with COVID-safe capacity restrictions.

The Vista has been synonymous with art since the early 1980s, when artists began to move their studios to the area’s affordable abandoned warehouse spaces. Today’s restaurants, shopping and nightlife in the historic buildings along Gervais Street are still driven by the Vista’s creative energy. Artista Vista is produced by the Vista Guild and would not be possible without support from presenting sponsors City of Columbia and Experience Columbia SC as well as other community-focused corporate citizens like Boston Beer, New Belgium Brewing, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Columbia Metropolitan Airport and Soda Cap Connector.

About the Vista Guild
The Vista Guild is a nonprofit, membership-based organization charged with seeing that Columbia’s Vista, which is an official South Carolina Cultural District, is a vibrant symbol of our progressive Southern city. Led by a 14-member Board of Directors representing a variety of business sectors, the Congaree Vista Guild and its members are dedicated to making the Vista the place of choice for shopping, dining and entertainment, a national and international tourist destination, and a high-energy urban environment in which to live and grow businesses.

For more information about the Vista Guild, please call (803) 269-5946 or visit www.vistacolumbia.com. Follow the Vista Guild on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook @VistaColumbiaSC and #ArtistaVista.